New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-02
DALMArIAN ARCHITECTURE.
RycB STORES OF MEDIEVAL ART.

RICH STORES OF MEDIEVAL ART.
pALMArA THE eyAREEHo AND ,I IsIT a or win
By + g. Jsekson N A, T: s. s A. s archi SiiI
y0s S,, sye; t *. clarendon Press New
YORK: Macmillan Co.
The principaI subject Of this teautdful work Is
the architecture OF q region who's, art ana an
tiouities have been less studied in proportion to
tl.ir interest than tbtse Of any 9th european
country. 1t is true that Dalmstia that deeply In
dentci and island frnged strip Of the western
Adr.atc coast which stretches southwark from the
head Of the sea to tie prlncipalty Of Montenegro,
end on the west long served Chrstendom as a
barrier against the TURF, has clten been visited
and described by English travellers; the ruins Oh
the great palace of Diocistian at Spaiato ha'o
been very carefully studied; the monuments VI
Pola, Ragusa Trau and some other cites are no'
unknown; Professor Freeman has written OF par'S
of the country In his Subject ana Ne'snooi
Lands OF Venice" and In spite oil the oihicui"o'
of travel and the lack of inns ana guldC-pooks'
Mr. Jackson found with dismay in CurzCh the
traces of an American who had purchased the
81 ndil balconies and brackets from q rulnea
house TO adorn villa in New-iork The atteh-
tion of previous writers. however, has Deen dl-
rected principally TO Roman remains. and the rich
stores OF medi 3val art have been almost wholly
neglected 1t is to these that Mr.. jackson has APP
piled himself, not only visiting the principal
cities, Akuiea, Trieste Parcnzo Pola, lara, Arbe,
Sebenico, Trau, Spalato. Ragusa, Cattaro, but
penetrating to towns which students do not even
know by name, and-as he justly says-exploling
The region from end to end. To this laborious
task he brought not only an ample professional
ability and fine natural taste, but a habit OF
thoroughress which we can hardly praise too
highly. 1t is delightful to examine work
composed with so much conscience In an elab-
crate Introductory chapter the history o. Dal-
malta the author has made great use OF materials
both in print and manuscript not TO De toand
except In the country itself, and In the HISTORICAL
sketches of particular towns he has also availed
himself of the researches of local scholars, by
whom he seems TO have been everywhere most
cordially treated. The value Of this substantial
groundwork for arch illogical investigation is APP
parent when Mr.. Jackson comes TO inquire into
the dates of Dalmatian architecture, and It's re-
lations TO the art of other countries, a subject
which presents both peculiar difficulties and pecu-
liar interest. He is daunted by no obstacles in
pushing his searches to the very end. lie COM
pletes the outlines of ancient building by trac-
ing fragments Of the original wall through
the cellars and partitions of modern houses.
burrows in storerOoms. lie insinuates himself
into reeking alleys and teeming tenements. Grave
professors half sufocate themselves with material
dust by creeping with him into cupolas and |
roof spaces. The gentry put themselves at his |
disposal and the bishops give him letters which |
cause tie gratings Of the strictest convent 70
fy open, the chalices and ciboriums TO be taken
from the treasure chests, and sacred statues to
come down from their inches and be measured
and drawn. He never finds it too much trouble
to be complete and exact.
The habit OF thoroughness is disCerniblc in the
Illustrations as well as in the tent. Nearly all
the drawings are from Mr. Jackson's OWE pencil.
They include large numler Of WOOD cuts, and
sixty six tinted photographic plates, excellent both
for their eIearness and their pictorial character
1t is only 10 be expected that the detail drawings
of an architect should be precise and to scale;
but Mr.. Jackson shows his love Of exactitudc
equally in tie general views in which the picture
rcsllue effect is attained without any sacrifice OF
the main purpose of calculating the text. For
this reason, as well as on account OF the per-
spicuity and directness Of the lie, the work
is well suited to the general reader. While
special students will find in II store of technical
Information, nobody who has the least taste for
art and the most rudimentary knowledge of its
few books on architecture which the unlearned
will find entertaining, the learned Sc satisfying,
and both classes so fresh
That art letters and commerce houIshed on
the Dalmatian seacoast while the Savonic king
doms OF the interior remained in standardization
is attributable partly to the frequent intercourse
between the maritime cities and the opposite shores
of Italy, but still more to the survival in Dali
malta of Roman municipalities which kept alive
in the midst of a flood OF barbarian colonization
the traditions of civic freedom, settled law, and
an ancient culture. They are called by Mr..
Jackson waits and strays Of the Roman Empire"
which lasted through the middle ages and
traceable even yet in the passionate attachment
of the urban population to the Italian language
pnd to the "cotura Latina" in spite OF the efforts
of the Austrian Government and the Croats to
give the SavOnc element complete ascendancy
Dematian architecture mainly based on that
of Italy, and it has been strongly affected by
many outside influences. Byzantine examples
were adopted early and followed late. Tho
Hungarian conquest probably introduced traces
of Gothic, for the Hungarians employed Northern
artists although they were not artists them
selves. The later marks OF the Venetian connec-
ton are indisputable. Nor were the Dalmations
indebted to other nations only for IDEAS Some
of the most interesting OF their MEDIEVAL churches,
are literally built with stolen materials. Co umns,
capitals lintels. all manner of carved stone work.
were taken from ancient runs or from demolished
pagan temples, and worked into the new sruc-
lures with an almost cbildlike indifference TO
appearances AS a concession 10 the propretcs
stones bearing particularly ineoneruods orna-
ncnt were sometimes set upside down. Even In
buildings o; a more legitimate construction, the
quality OF the workmanship is not often COM !
mensurate with the excellence of the design. !
Honest masonry is indeed the rule but the toong !
Is generally rude, aud the wood carving is more
for the boldness Of the lines than the
nicely Of the finish. Indeed when we examine
the details we are more often reminded of art